The larger part of this
DVD records a special live performances from October 1988
in which American Ballet Theater stars Cynthia Gregory – less
than four years away from her final retirement – and her
most regular partner Carlos Bujones commemorated their
productive association.

With
the help of producer Hilary Miller and director Donald
Saddler, the dancers created a two-part entertainment.
In the first section they supposedly “rehearsed” parts
of some of their favourite ballets, while being gently
critiqued by the ballet-master. In the second they and
a small company performed a specially created staging of
the wedding scene from Delibes’s ballet Coppélia.

In Part
I: The Rehearsal there is no scenery, no elaborate
costumes, no attempt at creative lighting and, for the
most part, no orchestra but just a rather ropey sounding
piano – but then this is, after all, supposed to be a
rehearsal so I suppose that all that’s only to be expected.
A more serious deficiency, however, and one that lasts
throughout not only Part I but also Part II (Coppélia),
is the fact that everything is filmed from just a single
static camera placed at the back of the auditorium. Thus
we have just over an hour of material filmed almost entirely
in long-shot with just the occasional zoom in to medium-shot
(there are no real close-ups at all).

Apart
from one or two pre-recorded internalised monologues, we
hear only the ballet-master’s rather uncritical assessments,
all couched in terms of pure theatrical luvvy-ness worthy
of Lord Attenborough himself - How do Gregory and Bujones
do in an early extract from Giselle? “The intensity
is near perfect - ” And how do they rate in the kitchen
scene from Miss Julie? “It seems much more comfortable
than it did yesterday - ” The three sylphs in La
Sylphide are apparently “better - much better”,
while Bujones, giving us a virtuoso display in the role
of Ali in Le Corsaire is assessed as “as beautiful
as ever, Fernando - ”. Similarly, Ms. Gregory’s White
Swan variation in Swan Lake provokes an exclamation
of “Cynthia - as lovely as ever!”

Fortunately,
the quality of the solo dancing justifies, in general,
the unctuous accolades. The statuesque Gregory invariably
demonstrates both great elegance and precision while Bujones’s
energetic athleticism puts him clearly in the virtuoso
class. They are probably seen at their best in the pas
de deux from Don Quixote (which Gregory remembers
as one of their most productive partnerships). Inevitably,
not all the members of their “company” are of that same
standard, but who, to be honest, is looking at them?

In
Part II, matters of staging improve somewhat. At least
we now have a painted backdrop, as well as somewhat more
sophistication in the lighting (though the filming still
remains unfortunately dependent on that static camera).
Gregory and Bujones make a delightful couple and dance,
as you would expect, exceptionally finely as they rise
to the sense of occasion. The over-acting and downright
mugging of some of the subsidiary characters – the priest
and Coppélius – is, though, somewhat annoying.

We
then have a “bonus” (an annoyingly illogical concept – were
we only ever expecting to get the 61 minutes 1988 performance
on this DVD in the first place?) This is an edited version
of a public interview given by Cynthia Gregory in 2002
where she emerges as a very fine raconteur indeed, so full
of funny stories about her life and career that she needs
minimal prompting to recount them. Unfortunately, her interlocutor
Joanna Berman needs a crash course in interviewing technique:
she offers a constant stream of sigh – oh, yeah – that’s
great – oh, God! – ooooh - - that’s great etc., though
because Ms. Gregory is well-miked and speaks up, we do
at least always get to hear what she’s saying.

A
release for balletomanes, methinks, rather than a more
general audience. As the DVD’s back-cover blurb puts it
(more gushy luvvy-ness coming up, I’m afraid!): That
special week turned out to be everything they [Gregory
and Bujones] hoped for - glorious, joyful and exciting.
It was a family-and-friends affair, filled with love and
respect for each other, passion for the dance, and a truly
deep connection with their public. Cynthia and Fernando
danced together again! Well, if you haven’t thrown
up by now, you’ll probably love the DVD.
Rob Maynard

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